This doesn't deal with utilities, but it definitely shows that our corporate behemoths are all about perpetuating and defending the status quo in the energy arena:
Motorhead Messiah--Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower. Does the car business have the guts to follow him.
Detroit tells us it is impossible to increase gas mileage without decreasing horsepower. Yet this guy is able to design motors that blow the doors off the conventional (and obviously bullshit) wisdom.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Behold, the Wonder of Deregulated Energy Markets!
Once upon a time, all utilities were regulated by the government. There was recognition that power and water were necessities and that there was potential for abuse by the monopolies that provided them to consumers.
Over the last 20 years, corporatist "free-market" true-believers (also known as Republicans) have snowed everyone into thinking that the magic "invisible hand" of market competition would benefit consumers by providing incentives to innovate and drive down prices. We all know now how that turned out:
Enron Forced Up California Prices, Documents Show
BP Accused of Price Manipulation
Texas and California have been the primary guinea-pigs for the evil experiment known as utility deregulation...and who could have predicted this?:
Deregulation: Raw Deal for Power Users
The deck is increasingly stacked against Joe six-pack in favor of these huge corporations and their shareholders.
I love America....and Freedom! Freedom to be ripped-off while being told everything is just rosy now.
Over the last 20 years, corporatist "free-market" true-believers (also known as Republicans) have snowed everyone into thinking that the magic "invisible hand" of market competition would benefit consumers by providing incentives to innovate and drive down prices. We all know now how that turned out:
Enron Forced Up California Prices, Documents Show
BP Accused of Price Manipulation
Texas and California have been the primary guinea-pigs for the evil experiment known as utility deregulation...and who could have predicted this?:
Deregulation: Raw Deal for Power Users
The deck is increasingly stacked against Joe six-pack in favor of these huge corporations and their shareholders.
I love America....and Freedom! Freedom to be ripped-off while being told everything is just rosy now.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Stickin' it to "The Man"
Testing, 1, 2, 3...is this thing on?
Ahem...My name is Craig and I am frickin' tired of paying utility bills!
Join the club, right? Here is North Texas, every summer it takes more and more money to keep from melting into a puddle of sweat inside your own home. Most folks just assume that this is a unavoidable consequence of attempting to live the "American Dream" (or what's left of it, these days). The cost of oil, natural gas, and other forms of energy firing our power plants continues to climb. Corporate utility companies are increasingly looking out for shareholders now, rather than their customers. Our "good friends" in the middle-east literally have us over a barrel. But we have to heat, cool and light our homes...what other options do we have?
One of the biggest problems facing homeowners seeking to reduce their energy bills is that there is no one clear source that consolidates all the solutions in one place. My purpose here is to provide that forum; to report on the energy efficiency options available to us and provide some commentary on what works and what I'd like to try, if given the opportunity. I'm not a professional, but I have been investing time with this topic for 10 years and implementing solutions whenever possible. I don't know everything, but that's why there's a comments section, right?
So welcome to my forum for energy efficient home ownership. Make yourself at home. My hope is that my musings may inspire further exploration of ways to reduce, and ultimately eliminate our dependence on those greedy energy companies and their best buddies in the middle-east. Maybe we can change the world for the better in the process.....
Ahem...My name is Craig and I am frickin' tired of paying utility bills!
Join the club, right? Here is North Texas, every summer it takes more and more money to keep from melting into a puddle of sweat inside your own home. Most folks just assume that this is a unavoidable consequence of attempting to live the "American Dream" (or what's left of it, these days). The cost of oil, natural gas, and other forms of energy firing our power plants continues to climb. Corporate utility companies are increasingly looking out for shareholders now, rather than their customers. Our "good friends" in the middle-east literally have us over a barrel. But we have to heat, cool and light our homes...what other options do we have?
One of the biggest problems facing homeowners seeking to reduce their energy bills is that there is no one clear source that consolidates all the solutions in one place. My purpose here is to provide that forum; to report on the energy efficiency options available to us and provide some commentary on what works and what I'd like to try, if given the opportunity. I'm not a professional, but I have been investing time with this topic for 10 years and implementing solutions whenever possible. I don't know everything, but that's why there's a comments section, right?
So welcome to my forum for energy efficient home ownership. Make yourself at home. My hope is that my musings may inspire further exploration of ways to reduce, and ultimately eliminate our dependence on those greedy energy companies and their best buddies in the middle-east. Maybe we can change the world for the better in the process.....
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